A reasonable facsimile of Steven Souza and the Rays get a few other players. (PTBNL still waiting to be named.Keith Laws says, “The Rays can still come out ahead in this deal depending on who the players to be named are—I’m told they’re more than just throw-ins—but Souza, with three years remaining before free agency, is a big loss, and Banda and Solak alone don’t make up for it.”)

Miami signed the 30-year-old outfielder to a one-year deal, the team announced Wednesday, an early-spring addition that gives the Marlins much-needed major league outfield stability and a veteran presence in what is expected to be a young clubhouse.

Yuli Gurriel will play more at all four infield positions this season to give Astros manager A.J. Hinch more options in games and with the roster.

Gurriel has the experience and enthusiasm to do it. At spring training last year, the Astros turned Gurriel into a full-time first baseman, which was a new position for him. He had played second, shortstop and third base in his years playing for the Cuban national team.

Steinbrenner has had what he calls a “recurring dream” for years that the Yankees could honor his twin mandates — “be under $200 million [in payroll] and be a championship-caliber team.” His goal was to do this in 2014, but he felt the club didn’t have a puncher’s chance to contend without an ace, so he approved the signing of Masahiro Tanaka.
He feels the team is there now and that the Yanks “have a lot of money to spend in July [without exceeding ...

What’s interesting here is MLB in the release didn’t specify what exactly the suspension is for. Generally, if it’s a “drug of abuse” suspension (such as marijuana) or a PED, the league says so. In the Whitley release, the league was vague. Perhaps there will be more news on this front in the coming days.

“Snooks” Dowd, a highly touted player with the Springfield [Massachusetts] High school last season, has turned down an offer from Miller Huggins, manager of the Yankees, according to a report from his home town. The lad intends to complete his education at Dean Academy and at Lehigh before he gives thought to professional baseball. Dowd is said to be a fine hitter, excellent fielder and possessed of remarkable speed.

“No, this was something we categorize much more so as a pure baseball decision. Given what was put to us and how we valued it was something that a couple of guys that are not far off from the big leagues to add to what we have to build that momentum.

The moves prior to this one were things that factors involved there were moving pieces from areas of depth that we felt we could absorb and come out the other side o.k. Especially with the addition of C.J. [Cron] ...

The story, as Jon Pessah tells it in his book “The Game,” goes something like this: In the 1996 World Series opener, Leyritz instructed his pitchers to throw fastballs to Atlanta Braves teenage outfielder Andruw Jones—that despite the Yankees scouts warning their battery to approach Jones with breaking and offspeed pitches. Jones homered twice as part of a blowout victory, with Leyritz confessing afterward he had hoped to ...

Clark Griffith yesterday received a contribution to his bat and ball fund from the Juno Islands, the most outlying possession of the United States. The Junos came under Uncle Sam’s protection with the Philippines. The money was cabled by a company of United States marines who are stationed there. They said: “We civilized these cannibals with baseball. Accept this to help civilize Germany.”

I’m not saying this isn’t true. I’m just saying I can’t seem to find ...

A baseball source has confirmed the deal is worth $7.5 million [two years], and a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that Dyson’s deal includes performance bonuses each year: $50,000 at 100 and 125 games played; and $50,000 each at 350, 400 and 450 plate appearances.

Her work was truly ground breaking. I learned about r.s.b in the middle 90’s and was a big fan of Defensive Average. Baseball lost a great mind when her interests and responsibilities took her away from the game.

“I thought DA was a very interesting system that advanced our understanding of defense during that time,” Tippett says via email. Before spending 13 years with the Red Sox, Tippett developed the computer baseball sim Diamond Mind, which relied on Defensive Average ratings for a few ...

Monday, February 19, 2018

Reportedly front-loaded at $25 million each of the first two years. The free agent market was held up for this?

The prolonged courtship of slugger J.D. Martinez has paid off for the Red Sox, as MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported via sources that the sides have reached agreement on a five-year, $110 million contract that includes opt-outs after the second and third years of the deal.

An overseas professional baseball organization to be composed of six clubs and to be known as the Anglo-American League has been launched, according to W.A. Parsons, who was in [Bridgeport] yesterday on a hunt for players.
...
London, Paris and Brighton are sure of places in the league. Three clubs will be located at camps—with representation likely for Aix-les-Bains and Vichy, recreation centres for American troops. The league will play a five-month season, ...

So do the math. If Torres’ major-league debut were delayed by 16 days or more, he would fall short of that critical full season, enabling the Yankees to squeeze an extra year from him before his salary begins to skyrocket through arbitration and then free agency.

For those in charge of talent compensation, such as general manager Brian Cashman, paying less for a longer period of time would seem to be the optimal course of action, as the Cubs did with Kris Bryant in 2015.

Buster Posey is one of the most accomplished catchers in baseball history. At 30 years old, he already has a Hall of Fame resume.

In eight full seasons with the Giants, Posey has won National League Rookie of the Year, NL MVP, four Silver Slugger awards, a Gold Glove, and is a five-time All-Star. While he still has plenty of years left, Posey has naturally thought a bit about what he would like to do once his playing days are done.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Tim Tebow could be playing baseball at the highest level in the Mets organization sooner than many expected.

Position players, pitchers and catchers are already in Port St. Lucie, Fla. and if it hasn’t already joined them, Tebowmania is sure to be coming their way as well. On Sunday, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said he thinks Tebow “will play in the Major Leagues,” according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

His actions don’t match Marrero’s info. If he really believed in himself and wanted to play for a contender, he would have signed a three- or four-year deal with a contender for a higher AAV. Hosmer’s priority, though, was clearly getting the most guaranteed money. I don’t begrudge him for it but, in the short term at least, he’ll be playing in a lot of meaningless games.

Now, the overall dollars on the deal aren’t bad. $21 million a year for five years then $39 million over the last three ...

The most perplexing was designating for assignment 2017 All-Star DH Corey Dickerson, giving away leverage in hoping to bring trade talks to conclusion during the 10-day window or just surrender and release him, though paying just one-sixth of his $5.95-million salary, roughly $1-million, in termination pay.

And the most intriguing was acquiring right-handed hitting first baseman/DH C.J. Cron from the Angels for a player – a minor-leaguer, and likely not a ...

Saturday, February 17, 2018

I estimate only 10-12 Primates care about the NBA, none of whom can be bothered to curate their own thread to avoid detracting from what this site is really about: eliminationist rhetoric and precognition.